Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underlined the need to safeguard freedom of navigation and commerce during his meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.
In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said Modi and Pezeshkian held a fruitful meeting and discussed various aspects of bilateral ties as well as recent developments in West Asia.
“Prime Minister reiterated India's consistent position that all issues must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” Jaiswal said.
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PM Modi also stressed the need for continued efforts to ensure peace and stability in the region, while emphasising the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and commerce.
The meeting marked the first face-to-face interaction between Modi and Pezeshkian since the outbreak of the war in West Asia earlier this year. The two leaders have remained in contact through telephone conversations, with their most recent call taking place on June 30.
The meeting comes amid heightened tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy and shipping route. Any prolonged disruption to traffic through the waterway could have implications for crude oil supplies, shipping and India's energy security.
For New Delhi, the situation also raises concerns over the safety of Indian seafarers and commercial vessels operating in the region.
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The Modi-Pezeshkian talks took place as leaders gathered for the 26th SCO summit in Bishkek, with West Asia and global energy security emerging as key concerns amid wider geopolitical tensions.
Pezeshkian arrived in Bishkek on Monday for the two-day summit and is also expected to meet other leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
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